Verizon: Google Drinks "Spiked Kool-Aid"

Verizon has fallen to new lows in its veiled threat to cut off Google's bandwidth if the Web site doesn't pay extortion money. A top Verizon honcho says that Google drinks "spiked Kool-Aid" because the search giant doesn't think that Web sites should have to pay to be carried on broadband networks. The Washington Post reported the insult, which was fired off by Verizon senior vice president and deputy general counsel John Thorne.

Thorne claims that Web sites like Google are getting a "free lunch," but that Verizon would put an end to that, by charging Google and other Web sites fees if they want to get adequate bandwidth from Verizon networks.

Thorne said the idea that Web sites should be carried for free on broadband networks, is a case of "Google utopianism," and is like drinking "spiked Kool-Aid."

Note to Thorne: Check the Kool-Aid in the Verizon water cooler. The entire Internet is based on the concept that Web sites don't have to pay broadband networks if they want consumers to reach them. No one would pay a penny for Verizon broadband if there were no Web sites they wanted to reach.

Verizon and others are lobbying Congress hard to let them charge Web sites these extorion fees. Google and other Web sites are only starting to fight back now. Let's hope that Google ends up the victor, because we'll all be better off for it.